August and September is harvest time for one more
of the haut de gamme French potatoes, the
Pompadour. It's cultivation is difficult and its
production limited, so buy it while it lasts!
Ennobled with the Label Rouge, a trusted gallic
mark of quality, and named for Louis XV's favorite
mistress, the Marquise de Pompadour, this potato
has a buttery extra-comfort-food taste. Just one
bite and you feel everything is right with the
world.
A hybrid created in 1992, the Pompadour is a cross
between the Roseval, a hardy red-skinned potato,
and an ordinary rustic potato, the BF15. The
marriage resulted in a fragil tuber--a labor of love
to grow--but one that tasted oh, so good. So good
that four agricultural producers in the Picardie
region formed an association to promote this
exceptional potato that holds its form when cooked
but magically melts in your mouth when eaten. The
ideal potato to accompany sole meunière.
For a detailed take in French on the production of
this choice potato, check out a website maintained
by the four exclusive Pompadour producers:
Text & photo ©2010 P.B.Lecron
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